Introduction: The Curado Series has been a staple among anglers for many
generations and has built up quite a following, perhaps even a “legacy.” Any
change in a series as popular as this one is going to receive somewhat of a
mixed reaction but the move to the Curado G has been met with debate since the
reel’s initial unveiling at ICAST 2011. It’s time to see just how this latest
version stacks up to the previous version and the competition.

Impressions:
When the Curado D was first introduced anglers praised the reel’s updated design
and ergonomics as well as the more robust feature-set. Time would confirm that
the Curado D was one of the most well built reels of the time, and even today it
continues to be a common sight on the decks of many bass boats. When the
subsequent Curado E was released it marked a major departure from the previous
reel and featured a brand new form factor as well as the use of graphite on both
sideplates. The use of graphite in place of aluminum on the handle side
sideplate was immediately met with apprehension from many anglers, included
ourselves.

Three
generations of Curado reels

First there is the
question of “why.” While it is arguable that the use of graphite helped reduce
the overall weight of the new reels the bottom line probably has more to do with
sheer build of material (BOM) costs. The price of aluminum had risen over time
and in order to keep the price low enough for the segment, factoring in
inflation of course, it was likely the decision was based just as much on
economics as it was on design.

The Curado G
(right) features a slightly longer more pointed form factor...

While skeptical at first,
the original Curado E 200 series proved to be a winner as well. Not only was the
reel rigid enough to provide solid cranking power it was exceptional
ergonomically speaking and Shimano followed it up with the even smaller Curado
50 size featuring the same form factor as the Core 50. There was little to no
negative chatter about the introduction of the aluminum version of the Core 50,
most anglers viewed this as an upgrade to the Curado Series, just one more
choice in the “mean green machine” lineup.

...which is
identical to the Caenan, yet looks smaller simply due to the darker color

Before we get into the new
Curado G we also need to take a look at the Chronarch D Series which was also
basically an aluminum version of the larger Core Series. The Chronarch D Series
was a major upgrade from the distinctive yet much too heavy Chronarch B, both in
form factor and functionality. But at this point the lines between the different
series reels was really beginning to blur, and this factored in with the fact
that these made in Japan reels were extremely expensive to manufacture must have
played into the decision to revamp, or reset, both lineups.

Time to take a
closer look

All this brings us to
ICAST 2011 when the Curado G and Citica G debuted with the same form factor as
the Caenan and the Chronarch E series replaced the “D” series with the same
exact form factor as the previous Curado E Series, just with a sporty white and
dark grey finish. Confused? So were many anglers that were unsure just what to
think about the shift.